Citizens'​ Committee for Children of New York’s Post

Many parents with children of different ages often find themselves going around to multiple services from pre-K to kindergarten in order for their children to access early education. New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham listened to the stories of parents and their needs at the inaugural early childhood summit on Wednesday, bringing together over 100 lawmakers, officials and stakeholders across the state to answer the following question: How can we ensure quality and accessible early childhood programs for families in the state? Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gTBgihg3

Investing in early education has many benefits. The first five years of a child's life are the most important for their health and development, especially their brains. Their brains develop faster in their early years than at any other time. Local news organizations could approach community engagement the way parents and caregivers must approach early engagement with kids. Partnering with schools, as early as preschool, also can help local news organizations reach the next generation. There are a lot of similar challenges and opportunities at the intersection of journalism and education. https://lnkd.in/dx6KY5By #education #journalism #business #economy #community

Unfortunately, the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) budget for early intervention (Part C) and Preschool special education (Part B-619) shows a flat budget from Federal Fiscal Year 2023 - 2024. A flat budget in reality is a cut, as it means the appropriation is not keeping up with inflation. Additional funding is needed to address: ➡️ the increasing number of children and families served, ➡️ challenges with recruitment and retention of qualified professionals (leading to wait times for services in a number of states), ➡️ the increasing costs of providing evidence-based services in home and community-based settings (personnel and administrative costs). The Department's FFY2025 budget request https://lnkd.in/gT3YWhNy for early intervention (Part C) does include a small $5M increase (a .9% increase over FFY 2024) and includes the following language: "[this request] includes a range of proposals designed to increase access to the program for infants and families who have been traditionally underrepresented in the program, facilitate program entry for new parents, eliminate out-of-pocket costs for participating families, and promote continuity of services for eligible infants and their families". While I agree with eliminating family cost participation (incl. family fees) it should come with an injection of federal funds to offset the loss in revenue for states. According to the national Infant Toddler Coordinators Association (ITCA) Federal Part C funds account for only 12% of total funding reported [for early intervention] and would be even lower if all revenue were reported. #earlyintervention #preschoolspecialeducation #specialeducation

With the expiration of emergency pandemic federal funding for early care and education (ECE) programs, families across the country are struggling to access care for their children. However, states are beginning to increase investments, offering glimmers of hope for the future of ECE. Read The Hechinger Report story to learn more at: https://lnkd.in/eMpnCirv #ECE #EarlyCareAndEducation #EarlyChildhoodEducation

Wondering just where are we starting this new year, as we tackle our child care crisis? Check out this great summary of 2023's top stories for ECE.

As a new resident of Michigan, I am very disappointed by the legislative budget proposals that essentially exclude community-based early learning programs from participating in publicly funded PreK. One of the reasons my husband and I were excited to move here with our three-year-old was because we knew the state had been making strides to prioritize early learning. A mixed delivery PreK system has long been a trademark of Michigan's early learning approach. I personally found an amazing community-based program for my child that reflects my family's values and makes it possible for both my husband and me to work. Should these proposals remain unchanged, I can only imagine the disappointment of a family turned away because a program can’t offer public PreK. Input from families across Michigan during the creation of the PreK for All Roadmap was clear: families want PreK offered in a variety of settings, and the supply of community-based early learning opportunities would be harmed if not included. The Roadmap was rife with the potential to be MORE inclusive: more inclusive of more CBOs and thus more inclusive of more children in Michigan. This would have been a win for my community, my own family, and the families of four-year-old children I know. But now, with the House budget proposal on the table, I am worried about the impact on families and the entire child care sector in Michigan, and I am disappointed that policymakers are not listening to the communities they represent. #EarlyLearning #PreK #ChildCare #EducationPolicy #MichiganFamilies #CommunityBasedPrograms #GSRP

Governor Beshear's budget released tonight focuses on key investments in education. Notably, the budget included proposals for preschool expansion, child care, full funding for school transportation and kindergarten, as well as additional investments in postsecondary education. The Governor also included an 11% pay increase for public school employees. These can all positively influence Kentucky’s education outcomes and the state's workforce and economy.    Early childhood is the one area of the #BigBoldAsk where we have not made significant headway in the past 4 years. While the governor’s proposal for preschool is exceptional, we are concerned that the budgeted investment in the Child Care Assistance Program is not enough to maintain coverage of the currently 37,000 children relying on the support of child care. We’ll be working to better understand the governor’s proposal for the interconnection between preschool and child care, and to work through the budget session on this issue - which is critical to Kentucky’s families.    As we enter the initial phase of the 2024 Legislative Session, this budget serves as a first step in the process. We are committed to keeping Kentuckians informed and will release a full analysis of the governor’s proposed budget tomorrow, and provide detailed context and insights at each stage of the legislative process. #StrongStartKY #ChildCare #EarlyChildhood #KYGA24

Today Office of Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey today laid out the administration’s bold agenda to make early education and child care more affordable and accessible for all families across Massachusetts, which includes: - Delivering universal, high-quality preschool access for four-year-olds in all Gateway Cities by the end of 2026. - Increasing Child Fare Financial Assistance eligibility from 50 percent of the state median income (SMI) to 85 percent SMI to help an additional 4,000 low-and moderate-income families afford care.  - Continuing Commonwealth Cares for Children (C3) grants in FY25. - Signing an executive order to recognize the essential role child care plays in driving the state’s economy and competitiveness forward and directing the Healey-Driscoll administration to take a whole-of-government approach to ensuring affordable, high-quality child care. The Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs was happy to provide a statement of support: “We are thankful to Governor Maura Healey, Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, and Secretary Pat Tutwiler for today’s important announcement regarding their continued commitment to early education and child care affordability and accessibility. We are grateful the Administration and their colleagues in the legislature for their continued support of C3 funding, it is because of this support that the Massachusetts Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs, comprised of 40 organizations with 64 sites, continues making a difference in the lives of over 75,000 youth daily. We commend the Governor for issuing an Executive Order, creating a Task Force that will elevate the importance of Child-Care and how it impacts other segments and industries.” Jenn Aldworth, Executive Director

Today's blog: In a new report, Neighborhood Villages looks at how much high-quality care for children actually costs. The bad news? There’s a “true cost” gap. What Massachusetts pays for subsidized child care is thousands of dollars less than the costs of running high-quality programs, which means children can end up in programs that lack vital resources. Understanding this gap, “is the first step to rectifying a very broken funding model for the child care sector,” according to the report, High-Quality Early Childhood Education: Opening the Books on its True Costs. Read more about the report’s specific findings: https://lnkd.in/dkP85pfW

The Massachusetts Senate unanimously passed the EARLY Ed Act last Thursday, a bill that calls for major state investments in early education to help correct a system where families struggle to afford care and low pay often forces workers out of the field. The legislation would make more families eligible for a state subsidy program that defrays early education costs, and cap out-of-pocket costs for families whose children are enrolled in subsidized care. Right now, a family of four with an income of under $73,000/year is the qualification for child care subsidies. This bill would raise that to $124,000/year, meaning more families qualify. Read more about this ambitious bill: https://lnkd.in/e-JEWvGk